I am sitting at "home" in Oaxaca, recovering from a cold that I got from sick kids at camp. I would venture to say that at least 80% of the Camp staff and counselors ended up catching the bug by the end of the week, and they passed it on to at least 40% of the high schooler campers - so BIG THANKS to the elementary age kid that came to camp sick. Luckily, unlike most others, I didn't get a fever, so I didn't have to spend a whole day sleeping.

However, when I was most sick, I couldn't really do anything without feeling like my throat was going to shred itself into pieces, so I had to pass up on a few opportunities to school some campers in basketball. This turned out to be really good for me though, because I spent the whole day reading instead - and the book I read was nothing less than phenomenal. The theme for the week was "One Thing" based on Psalm 27:4 - and the book locked in, and tied together all of my thoughts and all of the teachings from the week. The night I finished it, I experienced God in an incredible new way, and if you contact me, I'd love to tell you more about it.

I never thought that going to camp to be a counselor for 4th and then 7th grade guys would result in my own faith being radically strengthened, but that's exactly what happened. As a counselor, I was really disappointed that none of my 13 guys showed any interest in their faith, but it turns out God planned to rock my faith instead. It just amazes me to think that if I hadn't gotten sick, I wouldn't have read the book, and my faith would be in much the same place as it was before I left for camp. **Even through my sickness, God has a plan for my life.**

I loved the fellowship of the other counselors, most of whom came down from Cedarville on their Spring Break. On Tuesday afternoon, in-between the elementary and the high school camps, we all spent the afternoon climbing and repelling on a 120 ft cliff face 200 ft above a lake. It was incredibly beautiful and incredibly fun. I had never been climbing or repelling on anything but a rock wall before, so that was truly an amazing experience. I'm so grateful to all the people who gave up their afternoon, lending us their skills, time, and equipment.

The guy in charge of the team from Cedarville came down from a camp in southern Ohio, and he's the one who both gave all the messages at the high school camp and loaned me the incredible book I read. Since I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing this summer, I told him I might be interested in trying to get a job at his camp, and the more I think about it, the more it sounds like a really great experience... anyone reading this spent a summer as a camp counselor?

A sixteen year old kid played the drums at the talent show, and he was amazing. He made me wish I had my drums down here with me/made me wish I actually had any drumming talent whatsoever.

I only took two showers all week - the water was cold and the bathroom was nasty. I haven't been sunburned once in Mexico.I love chocolate and gummy snacks and ice-cream.I'm going to Boston in 2 weeks to visit Gordon.

Comments

HEY STEPHEN!! I finally got your blog. I have enjoyed reading it. Oaxaca is beautiful. What did you think of Puebla? The zocolo (sorry no international keyboard for the accent) is beautiful in Puebla. I stayed is a 'hotel' that was more like a college dorm when I stayed there. Did you take the bus from Oaxaca? That was a windy trip. Love all your pictures. I have been sick as a result of a classroom of hacking, coughing, fever-riddled kids. It is yucky!